The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-17
NUMBERS ON CITY HOUSES.
The Necessity for O. Uniform and Com
plete System of Numbering.

p4ct6 system OF n UlADeFlnH.
The necessity for more complete system
OF numbering houses in Savannah is appar-
emit, In the southern and southeastern and
southwestern portions of the city which
have been built up in the past five or six
years comparatively few houses are num-
bered and those very iITegulnrly. South of
CASTOR street not one half nf the houses are
numbered at all and threc-foirths &C those
are numbered wrong.
The system of numbering which was
adopted years ago, and which Is still in vogue,
provides that upon streets running east
and west the houses must be numbered with
even numbers on the north side and odd num-
bers on the south side commencing at the
eastern terminus of the street. Upon streets
running north and south the even numbers
are on the east side and the odd numbers on
the west side.
The ordinance prescribing the manner in
which houses are to be numbered was passed
in February, 1912, and reads:
1t shall be the duty of the Street and Lane
Committee to provide some competent person,
painter, braZier or other artist, who shall pro
coed under direction of said committee to num-
Der the houses on each street with paint In large
figures, and in legible and durable manner
unless the tenant, occupant or owner of such
house shall elect more costly and elegant
method. IN which case il shall be left to his or
her option as to cost and materials, whenever
such cost may exceed the cost in the general
plan for numbering the city at large.
There shall be levied upon every house in the
coporate limits, not facing upon the lanes and
alleys, such sum as the Street and Lane Com
mittee shall require to defray the cost of num-
berng such house, and the same sum upon every
door of each tenement house, to be paid at the
time of numbering the same to the order or by
the authority of the Street and Lane Commit
tee, ana upon the failure Of every such owner of
house or houses, said owner or owners shall
forfeit and pay into the City Treasury the sum
Of 81.
The plan provided by this ordinance did
not extend farther south than Harris street.
farther west than Farm street or farther
east than what was then the Eastern Wharf
Company's land. 1t provided for the indie
pendent numbering of the houses east of
East Broad street, in CurTytown and Yama-
craw. This was forty-five years ago. Since
then the city has grown, the houses have
been numbered, many of them, several
times, and wrongly, so that in order TO get
a correct and uniform system it will be nee
essary to renumber the entire city.
Somewhere about twelve years ago the
city undertook to straighten out the tangled
up system. Alderman Thomas took the
matter in hand again year ago, and made
some progress, but in his opinion the only
way to get complete and uniform system
is to reminder every house in the city.
There are, at rough estimate, somewhere
about S,OOO houses, and the work would cost
anywhere from 5000. at the lowest estimate,
up to 81 900 or 81 200 according to the
style of numbering Alderman Thomas is
in favor of the city's assuming the cost of
the work. instead of levying it upon each
house. The latter plan he does not consider
practicable where so many houses are to be
numbered.
Postmaster Lamar addressed the City
Council a communication in regard to the
matter, and it was read at the meeting on
Wednesday night and referred to the Com
mittee on Streets and Lanes. Capt. Lamar
called the Councils attention to the fire.
quent' and not only vexatiOus, but often
serious delays in the delivery of the mails
by carriers on account of the absence of
numbers on houses, and the trouble which
the carriers have in finding parties to whom
letters are addressed A uniform system of
house numbers is necessary to secure a
prompt and safe delivery Of the mails by
carriers
The retail merchants experience the same
difficulty in delivering goods Porters
oftentimes are unable to find the parties to
whom goods are sent, and are compelled to.
return them TO the store, where they remain
until called for.
Alderman Thomas is anxious to have the
houses remembered throughout the entire
city. The only thing in the way is the large
expenditures by the city for other purposes,
which neceSsitate the postponing of much
important work until next year, when it
can be provided for in the budget.